The Boston Celtics are still scouring the trade market for a center.
In their search they've exploring the combined trade value of forward Danilo Gallinari and point guard Payton Pritchard, according to Yahoo Sports' NBA insider Jake Fischer.
Gallinari has yet to play in 2022-23 after tearing his ACL prior to the season during the FIBA EuroBasket competition. While he has hopes to return by the postseason, the Celtics may not be keen to lean on the veteran when he's fresh off of an injury.
To that point, the injury history of Robert Williams III almost necessitates a need to find a quality reinforcement at the pivot. Now in his fifth season, Williams has emerged as one of the better shot-blockers in the NBA, ranking second in blocks per game (2.2) in 2021-22. However, Williams has never played more than 61 games in a season.
A player so important but whose availability is so questionable, Boston would be foolhardy not to trade Gallinari — who may not be able to play this season — in an effort to upgrade the roster. If that trade requires that they move Pritchard, a career 39.7 percent shooter from deep that's shooting a career-low 33.0 percent from 3-point range this season, so be it.
Looking at the potential trade targets for the Celtics, Fischer singles out San Antonio Spurs center Jakob Poeltl and Orlando Magic center Mo Bamba. Stylistically, Bamba is more similar to Williams with his athleticism and skillset as a lob-catcher and shot-blocker. However, given that Boston is looking to include Pritchard, the point guard-deficient Spurs may be more enticed by the Celtics' trade package than Orlando.
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